Indiana Jones and the Quest for Truth
by High King Peter the Magnificen
Summary: Indiana Jones begins a quest for the Grave of Moses, said to be in the Garden of Eden and to contain hidden knowledge. However, Indy finds himself up against a massive conspiracy from surprising sources, and must question much of what he has held as "truth". I don't own the Indiana Jones characters. PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS. I use some real conspiracy theories - but fictitiously.
1. Chapter 1

1958, near the Nahuel Huapi Lake, Argentina, South America

He crouched on the ridge of one of the hills surrounding the lake. Among the trees on the other side in the distance, he could make out the mansion, residencia Inalco, rumoured to be inhabited by one of the many high-ranking Nazis who fled to South America after World War II.

But that was not his target. He looked over his shoulder, and saw his nervous native guide catch up to him.

"Where is it?" the man asked.

"Down there, senor," the guide replied, handing him the binoculars and pointing.

The American looked at the area his guide pointed. He could just make out the cave entrance, hidden among the trees and vegetation.

"You sure the Nazis hid their gold and artefacts there?" the explorer asked.

"Positive, senor," the guide replied. "I helped them hide it there, 12 or 13 years ago. They paid me well. Made me swear to tell no-one."

"Well, you kept that promise well," the explorer muttered to himself. No matter. As long as he got what he came for.

"Right," the American explorer said after surveying the surrounding area, satisfied they weren't being followed or watched. "Let's go." He started to get up.

"Uh..." began his guide. He stopped and looked at him. "When they hid their gold, Nazis make booby traps to prevent others getting in. I'd rather go back." He held out his hand.

"Fine," the ageing explorer sighed. He fished into his pocket, and paid the guide for his work. The guide hurried off.

The explorer turned back to the task at hand, and started to walk (in a crouching position) down the hill. At the entrance of the cave – just tall enough for an upright man to walk in – he paused. He looked around. No evidence or signs of being followed or watched. No sounds. He looked into the cave, in which he could see nothing but blackness. He then pulled out his torch, went inside, and turned it on.

The guide went to the pre-arranged meeting place just a couple stones' throws away from the mansion. There, waiting for him, was a Nazi soldier, as agreed. The Nazi was smoking.

"Did you follow the plan?" the Nazi asked as he exhaled smoke.

"Yes," the guide replied enthusiastically. "He swallowed it hook, line and sinker, as Americans say. He should be inside the cave now."

The Nazi smile. "Excellent. Excellent."

"And now, my pay?" the guide asked.

"Oh, yes," the Nazi replied. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at the now-terrified guide. "Here's your pay." No-one heard the silenced shot.

The Nazi who lived in the residencia Inalco was sitting in his lounge admiring the view. Like many of his fellow Nazis, he had escaped here at the conclusion of World War II. He led the community of Nazis, who envisioned themselves as the Fourth Reich. The device next to him beeped. He reached over and pressed a button. "Was gibts?" What is it?

"Herr Jones hat den Köder genommen, mein Fuhrer.'' Dr Jones has taken the bait, my Fuhrer.

''Und der führen?'' And the guide?

''Ist tot.'' Is dead.

''Ausgezeichnet.'' Excellent.

Dr Jones – Henry Jones, preferred name Indiana – made his way down the cave tunnel. He was extremely cautious about booby traps. Problem: if electronic, he might never see them. In time, anyway. He also had to worry about the possibility of security camers – which were actually invented by the Nazis. Did they have those? These were things his guide was simply oblivious about.

He felt a raised pebble he stepped on sink under him. He immediately dove to the floor – while a laser beam shot through the very spot he had been standing a moment ago, and began melting the opposite rock wall! _That was close_ , Indiana Jones thought. The laser beam turned off after a few seconds, but judging by the state of the opposite wall, Indy had no intentions of ever being on the receiving end of it.

He stood up... and banged his head on a low-hanging rock, which immediately retracted into the ceiling. Indy didn't bother to hang around and started running. Spears began to shoot from the opposite wall, just missing him. _I'm really not up to this!_ He thought. _Not at my age!_ He ran to the end – and almost fell 15 feet. He teetered on the edge dangerously for a few seconds (more off the ledge than off it) as the last spear grazed his back and ripped his shirt. He quickly reached back and grabbed it, stopping himself from dropping. He quickly got a firmer stand on the edge.

15 feet below, was the floor of a large cave. Light naturally filtered through a small hole in the ceiling, although Indy still shone the torch around to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

He wasn't. The cave was filled with gold, jewels and other treasures and artefacts. The lost Nazi horde! But how to get down to it? And were other booby traps awaiting him?

Just then, Indy happened to lean against the wall. He felt something give way behind him and jumped (almost impaling himself on the spear in front of him). But instead of being yet _another_ booby trap, a set of stairs appeared leading down to the floor below. With cautious steps, he slowly made his way down to the cave floor.

Once at the bottom, Indy again shone his torch around. There were a number of piles of gold. He noticed a number of gold bars with some sort of coat of arms on the top. He walked up to one, and took a close look. It was the Vatican coat of arms! _That can't be right_ , Indy thought. _The Vatican was never invaded, nor was it ever looted. How did the Nazis acquire their gold?_

Indy pulled out his sack, and put a couple of the gold bars inside. _Why not? I may be able to find something out about them, anyway._

Indy continued to look around for the particular object he risked his skin for. There were missing priceless paintings, silver and other jewels, and even what looked like the Crown Jewels (or else a close imitation). _That's strange_.

Then he looked to the centre of the room. There – on a pedestal, with the weak beam of light falling on it – it sat. Indy approached it cautiously, on the lookout for booby traps.

Satisfied there appeared to be none, Indy cautiously picked it up. The largish, clear crystal felt surprisingly heavy. He looked at it carefully in the light. He could make out the paleo Hebrew inscriptions. It was definitely the one. He now held in his hands one of the most important objects in the world. He put it in the sack.

It was then that Indy noticed the pedestal sinking. An alarm sounded, with lights on the ceiling flashing red. _Idiot!_ He made a rush for the way he'd come... only to find the stairs retracting into the wall. He turned around just in time to see a nearby section of wall slide back, revealing several Nazis soldiers, who quickly trained their guns on him. Indy had no choice but to raise his hands.

''Guten tag, Herr Jones,'' the lead Nazi (the same one on the rock earlier) said. ''Now come quietly, and you will live longer. The Fuhrer would like to see you.''


	2. Chapter 2

Indiana Jones' bag was confiscated, and he was led along the tunnel at gunpoint – after being checked for a gun. As he walked along, he tried to ask some questions. "Who is the Fuhrer?"

That just earned him a dumb look from the leader, so Indy shut up. Presently, they came to a door set in stone. A small screen was set into the wall near it. The leader went and put his eye to it. After briefly scanning it, the door slid open into a metal tunnel. A five-minute walk came to another door, this time with a voice scanner. "Oberleutnant Georg Mengele," the leader said into it. The door slid open to a set of stairs. At the top, another sliding door with a thumbprint scanner.

"Jeez," Indy muttered, "you guys take your security seriously."

Mengele smiled at him and said, "Why do you think?" He then scanned his thumb, and the door opened into what looked like a large living room with windows along the front, and a fireplace at the opposite end. A man with black hair sat in a chair towards the other end, his back to them. "Mein Fuhrer," Mengele said, "hier ist Herr Jones. Er war in der Schatzkammer. In seiner Tasche war der Diamant, zusammen mit zwei goldbarren.'' My Fuhrer, here is Mr Jones. He was in the Treasure Room. In his Bag was the Diamond, along with two gold bars.

''Leg sie auf den Tisch,'' the Fuhrer ordered. Put them on the table. He motioned to the table right next to him. Oberleutnant Mengele quickly obeyed. ''Warte in dem anderen Raum.'' Wait in the other room. The soldiers quickly obeyed, leaving Indiana Jones alone in the room with ''the Fuhrer''. The Fuhrer gave an exaggerated sigh, and stood up and turned to face Indy. Indy was stunned. It couldn't be him. He was dead. Had been for 13 years. Hadn't even been to South America. But there was no mistaking him. The Fuhrer was Adolf Hitler! Hitler chuckled on seeing Indy's reaction. ''Surprised, Dr Jones?'' Indy could barely get the words out. ''You're dead.'' ''So everyone thinks,'' Hitler replied with a smirk. ''Eva and I killed our body doubles, and escaped here.'' ''How?'' was all Indy could say. ''Doesn't matter,'' Hitler replied. ''What does matter is that standing before me is the American bastard who ruined my plans – my plans to retrieve first the Ark of the Covenant, and then the Holy Grail, both of which would have given me unlimited power.'' Indy had regained his composure by now. ''I've stood before you before.'' Now it was Hitler's turn to be surprised. ''Liar. When?'' Indy suppressed a smile as he replied, ''When foiling your plot to steal the Grail. When I stole back my father's Grail diary in Berlin. I was disguised as a German soldier. The crowds pushed me directly into you as you were giving out autographs. You autographed the diary.'' Hitler looked confused for a second, then recognition dawned in his eyes, and he started to become angry. ''You... I was so close to...'' His fists started clenching. Indy now started getting seriously worried. But then, Hitler started getting control of himself. ''No matter.'' He turned and picked up one of the gold bars. ''What is your interest in this?'' ''Nothing,'' Indy replied, which was partly true. ''I wasn't after that. But since they were there...'' Hitler smiled in amusement. He put the bar down, and picked up the crystal. ''What about this?'' Indy didn't answer. ''Do you know what this is?'' Again silence. ''Do you know its significance? I'm waiting for an answer!'' Indy finally spoke. ''Yes.'' ''You know what it holds the key to, if one can only unlock it?'' Hitler asked. ''Yes,'' Indy replied. To Indy's surprise, Hitler tossed the crystal to him. ''Unlock it.'' ''What?'' Indy asked, genuinely surprised. Hitler pulled out a pistol, and pointed it at Indy. ''Open it.''

Indy stalled. "But I don't know how." He was telling the truth.

Hitler cocked the gun, and aimed it properly. "I won't repeat it. OPEN IT!"

Just then, a door on the other end of the room opened, and a young blonde girl – looked about 12 – walked in with a tray, containing what looked like a flask of whisky and a glass. She placed it on the table next to Hitler. "Here you are, father," she said in perfect English.

Hitler put the gun down and said, "Thank you, Ursula."

Indy was too stunned to take advantage of Hitler's temporarily putting his guard down. "Did... did she just call you 'father'?"

"Oh, yes," Hitler beamed at him. "This is my daughter Ursula. She lives with her mother Eva in Ecuador City, but regularly visits."

"Ecuador City?" Indy – his head still swimming – asked. "Eva lives there? And you have A CHILD?!"

"Three children, actually," Hitler replied. "And all speak perfect English and are learning the American accent. Along with Eva, they will infiltrate American politics. Eventually, at least one of my children and grandchildren will become the President of the United States."

"You're not serious," Indy replied.

"Oh, yes I am," Hitler retorted. "I may even rise to a position of power again. And the only reason I'm telling you all this is because you won't live to tell anyone." Indy gulped. That could only mean one thing. "Now, Ursula dear, I have business to finish. You might want to leave the room."

"Sure, Daddy," Ursula replied, before skipping out the door.

Instead of immediately shooting Indiana Jones, Adolf Hitler turned his attention to the flask next to him, keeping the gun in his hand. He started to pour himself a drink.

Indy took his chance. He leapt on the former Fuhrer. Hitler's gun fired, shooting the door through which Indy had entered. The flask and glass were knocked to the floor.

Hitler had never been one for keeping fit. As a result, Indy quickly wrenched the gun from his grasp.

Unfortunately, just as he did so, the door flew open and Oberleutnant Mengele entered with his men. They all quickly raised their guns.

But Indy was a step ahead of him. Hauling Hitler up in front of him, he place Hitler's own gun to his right temple. "One wrong move, such as refusing to drop your guns, or firing your guns, then as I've said once before, 'anything goes'. Your Fuhrer first of all."

Mengele hesitated for a second, then lowered his gun. His men did the same.

"Now then," Indy said, getting to his feet and hauling Hitler up in front of him. "Mengele, put that crystal on the floor in the bag. You know what happens if you don't." Mengele reluctantly obeyed. "Now give me the bag. And no tricks!" Mengele again reluctantly obeyed, facing fierce scowls of fury from his Fuhrer. "Now, good oberleutnant, kindly pick up your radio and have a helicopter sent here – immediately. And the pilot is to step out when he lands it out the front, leaving the engine running."

Mengele looked at Hitler, who reluctantly nodded and gave a subtle wink, which Indy of course couldn't see. Mengele picked up his radio, and barked a command in German.

Five tense minutes later, the helicopter landed, and Indy watched out of the corner of his eye as the pilot jumped out and backed away. "Alright now, gentlemen, you are to leave your guns on the floor when I back out. If any one of you reaches for one, Hitler is dead. I will let him go just before entering the helicopter. No tricks!"

Oberleutnant Mengele nodded, as did his men. Indy then backed towards the door, keeping Hitler between the Nazis and himself. He got out to the helicopter, and began to back up into it. He then shoved Hitler not-so-gently onto the pavement and closed the door, immediately hopping into the pilot's seat and taking off.

Hitler got up as the helicopter lifted into the air, before turning and heading out over the lake. He chuckled and lifted his hand in a small wave.

As Indy flew across the lake, he thought he heard a very slight movement behind him in the chopper. He saw a slight reflection of movement in the windshield. He turned to look just as BANG! A bullet tore straight through his shoulder, cracking the windshield and spattering it with blood. Indy momentarily clutched his shoulder, then grabbed the controls and lurched the helicopter to the side, throwing his would-be assassin off balance. He immediately grabbed his gun, turned around and shot his assailant in the head. Indy then got up and opened the door of the chopper. He sat down, and "tipped the hat": turned the chopper on its side, dropping the body out. He quickly and carefully shut the door again, then flew north.

Adolf Hitler saw the chopper lurching, then the door open and his assassin's body dropped out. He was fuming. He turned around to see his soldiers gathering outside with their guns, watching the show. He stormed right up to Oberleutnant Mengele.

"Sir..." Mengele began. But Hitler didn't let him finish. Grabbing a pistol off one of the other soldiers, he aimed it at Mengele's head and fired.


	3. Chapter 3

**Nahuel Huapi Lake, Argentina, 7:59 PM**

Hitler wasn't looking forward to the call. He was in the living room. On the wall opposite the windows, three side-by-side panels had been moved aside at the push of a button. Behind were video screens.

Hitler looked at his watch. 8:00. He readied himself. Within seconds – and three beeps – three faces had appeared, one on each screen. On the very left was United States Presiden Dwight D Eisenhower. In the middle was Britain's King Edward VIII (who had taken over _coup de etat_ following the death of his niece Elizabeth II and her family in a tragic terrorist bombing a few years prior). And on the right was Pope Pius XII.

"Herr Hitler," Pius said. "Status report."

"Herr Jones took the bait hook, line and sinker," Hitler reported. "He was caught just after retrieving the Mosaic Crystal."

"Excellent," Eisenhower put in. "Was he willing to cooperate?"

Here was the part that Hitler didn't look forward to. "No. He claimed he didn't know how to unlock it. And I didn't get a chance to force him, either. My bumbling men allowed him to escape – with the crystal. And two lumps of Vatican gold."

The other three leaders all looked grave. "This is a setback," King Edward remarked. "What do we do?"

Pope Pius – the obvious leader of the group – leaned forward. "Implement Secondary Protocol."

The others looked even graver. "Are you sure that's necessary?" Edward asked.

"What, getting squeamish, Edward?" Hitler asked. "You weren't very squeamish when it came to bumping your nieces and great-nephew off."

"No more squeamish than you when you bumped your niece off," Edward snapped, "when she threatened to reveal you were adopted, and are actually my paternal half-brother!"

At this, Hitler started to appear angry, but President Eisenhower intervened. "Gentlemen, this is not the time for an argument. Are you certain about Secondary Protocol, Pius? The Order of the Preserved Knowledge swears his members to absolute secrecy. They would probably die before they'd tell us anything."

"Those rabbis are our only chance!" Pius replied. "And remember: we're not the only ones searching for the lost Garden of Eden. The Soviet leader, Nikita Khruschev, is also on the trail. In the meantime, Eisenhower, implement Operation Tagalong. Maybe Indy will unintentionally lead us to the Garden, or he'll find something that'll help us."

"Yes, Holy Father," Eisonhower responded, then signed off. Edward signed off as well.

"Well, Adolf," Pius leaned forward, "are you ready and prepared for Operation Takeover?"

Hitler pondered for a few seconds. "Yes, Holy Father. I am ready."

Pius nodded. "A plane will be sent to you shortly. Cardinal Roncalli will be prepared." And with that, the most powerful man in the world signed out.

 **Bedford, New York**

Indy's plane made landing. He had dumped the helicopter a few miles out from a town. He had then managed to get transportation to a larger city, and get a plane ticket.

In the airport, he stopped to make a call to Marion to tell her he was coming home. He failed to notice a nonchalant man in a suit watching his every move. When Indy left the airport, so did the well-dressed man. Indy hailed a cab. A waiting vehicle picked up Indy's follower.

It was evening when Indy had landed, and it was night by the time he arrived at his house. He paid the taxi driver, and walked up to the door of his house. The following car stopped a short distance away.

Inside the car, the well-dressed man sat in the passenger seat. " **у меня есть Свой** **адрес,** **" he reported. I have his own address. He then proceeded to give it.**

 ** **In the house****

 **Indy and Marion hugged and kissed each other. "So, how did it go?" Marion asked.**

 **"Alright," Indy replied, pulling out the crystal. Marion admired it. Indy then pulled out the bars of gold.**

 **"What's this?" Marion asked.**

 **Indy sat down and explained the whole trip – especially about meeting Hitler** ** _ **ALIVE**_** **. Marion was quiet, but not as shocked as Indy expected. "Well," she said, "that confirms what I had recently heard."**

 **"What are you talking about?" Indy asked.**

 **"Well," Marion explained, "I met an Argentine man at a bar shortly after you left. He claimed to know with absolute certainty that Hitler was alive. Naturally curious, I asked him what he meant. He explained that supposedly, he had helped the Argentine president smuggle Hitler to safety back in 1945. They had paid him to do it. He had been drinking, so at the time I just dismissed him as a nut."**

 **"Well, it's true, alright," Indy remarked. "Where can I meet this man?"**

 **"He frequents a particular bar every Wednesday," Marion responded. "It's Tuesday now. I'll take you to meet him tomorrow."**

 **"In the meantime," Indy said, looking at the mysterious crystal in his hand, "I've got this to solve."**

 **Indy's mind was a whirl as went to sleep that night. There was, of course, the fact that he had met Hitler ALIVE in South America! And the fact that he had Vatican gold, and what he could have sworn looked like the Crown Jewels.** ** _How the hell did he acquire these things?_** **But then, of course, there was the deal with the Mosaic Crystal. Legend has it that, when the right incantation is spoken over it, it will reveal the location of the Garden of Eden. Other legends specifically said the long-lost grave of Moses was also in the Garden. Story went that a rabbi, a little over 2000 years ago, had found Moses' grave near Mount Nebo, where the Bible claimed Moses had died. The rabbi had hidden there the original manuscripts of many of the books of the Bible, along with other relics, manuscripts and artefacts. A further twist to the legend – which Indy had some doubts about – was that a few decades later, at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Moses' body – and the other objects hidden with it – were supernaturally teleported to the Garden of Eden, said to be somewhere in Iraq.**

 **Indy sat up. He just remembered another detail about the legend he had forgotten. It was said that the rabbi had founded a secret society called the Order of the Preserved Knowledge, which was documented to have existed to this day. They were said to be the keepers of much secret knowledge. They were rumoured to be headquartered in Spain. They kept very holy and devout lives, and once a generation, it was said that one rabbi – usually the most righteous – was admitted into the Garden of Eden and add new knowledge to the "collection".**

 **He would soon head to Spain.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to Susan Popplewell and Anne Messervy for your reviews. Thanks to Dinosaur Imperial Soldier for favouriting and following the story; you literally saved it!**

 **Bedford, New York**

Indiana Jones entered the bar with Marion. Indy began scanning the bar, but Marion shook her head. "He usually arrives in about 10 minutes or so." They found a couple stools near the far end of the counter, and Indy ordered two drinks.

9 minutes later, a man walked in. He walked up to the counter and ordered a scotch. "That's him," Marion quietly told Indy, then walked over to him.

Santiago Gonzalez thanked the man behind the counter as he handed him his scotch. Just as he began to sip it, a female came and sat on the stool next to him. He recognised her as the woman he had talked to last week. "Mr Gonzalez," she said.

"Oh, hello, Mrs Jones," he replied. "Come to hear more?"

"Actually, my husband has," Marion replied. Santiago got up with Marion, and Marion led him to the end of the counter. "Santiago Gonzalez, Dr Indiana Jones," Marion introduced them to each other.

"Greetings, Dr Jones," Santiago said, holding out his hand.

"Greetings, Mr Gonzalez," Indy replied as he returned the handshake. "I hear you have quite a story to tell."

"That I do," Gonzalez nodded grimly. And he told them the tale. "In 1945, about two weeks after the fall of Berlin, I was approached by some Argentine officials about providing pack horses for a very important person going to arrive by submarine in the middle of the night. They were sketchy about details, but offered a very handsome payment, and so I accepted. There were three other men offered the same, and all accepted. About half a week later, one of the officials approached us and informed us that the arrival was at midnight that night. They told us where to go that night, and that we would be heading for a ranch at the foot of the Andes. They paid us half of the promised sum then, promising the other half when the job was complete.

"Late that night, we went to the place. About midnight, one of the officials signalled with a light, and a submarine immediately surfaced. Some Nazis exited it. A couple hours later, a second submarine surfaced. Hitler, Eva, and some others got off of it. In the light of morning, we packed their supplies onto the pack horses. Our trip to the ranch lasted the entire day. We arrived in the evening. After unpacking, and staying the night, we were paid the last half of our sum, and sent on our way, with a stern warning not to speak to anyone of this."

THAT NIGHT

Indy was certainly in a ponderous mood as he sat in the lounge, Marion leaning against him. If Gonzalez had told him that story just two weeks ago, he would have considered him a lunatic. But he had actually _seen_ Hitler alive in South America. All the proof he needed.

But there were still lots of questions. Like, was Hitler involved with the British Royal Family and the Vatican?

These thoughts were interrupted by a small knock at the door. Indy looked at Marion, then got up to answer it.

The person at the door was dressed in a dark cloak, with a hood over his head. Indy was initially suspicious. The stranger spoke first, in an Italian accent. "Dr Indiana Jones?"

"Yes," Indy slowly and suspiciously replied. "Who are you?"

"Not here," the stranger whispered, glancing slightly from side to side. "We'd be better to talk inside."

Indy was still highly suspicious. "Alright," he said, standing to the side and casually pulling out his gun. "But don't try anything."

The stranger entered the lounge. There, he took off his hood. He held out his hand. "Father Giuseppe de Medici."

Indiana just looked at him, and Giuseppe dropped his hand. "Father?" Indy asked. "Are you a priest?"

"Yes," Giuseppe replied, sitting down on a seat. "One with access to fairly sensitive knowledge. I came to warn you."

"Warn me of what?" Indy asked, sitting down himself.

"Your involvement in the quest for Moses' grave is not welcome in high circles," Father Giuseppe stated. "Your life is in danger."

Indy leaned forward. "Wait a minute. How did you know what I was doing? And how is my life in danger?"

Giuseppe leaned back and sighed. "The Vatican has been after Moses' grave – and the Garden of Eden – for decades. As have the other world leaders, many of whom are in league with them. I'd better back up and explain a little bit. The Vatican was behind Hitler's rise."

Marion balked. "You aren't serious!"

Giuseppe looked at her. "Was I a high-ranking Vatican priest, or wasn't I?" She didn't answer, so he continued. "Hitler was the illegitimate son of King George V, and half-brother to George VI, and the current Edward VIII." Again, the stunned looks. "And he was raised a Catholic. He was intended by both the British Royal Family and the Vatican to be a joint agent. World War II was a massive set up."

Indy leaned back. "You know how... crackpot that sounds?"

Giuseppe smiled. "I know. It's hard to believe. But I have been a Catholic priest since the 1920s, so I witnessed much of what I'm telling you. When you broke into Hitler's treasure chamber in South America" – Indy's eyes went wide – "did you see Vatican-stamped gold?"

"Yes," Indy replied incredulously. "I wondered how the hell he got his hands on that."

"It was a payment from Pope Pius XII," Giuseppe explained. "The current Pope. Did you see the Crown Jewels?"

"Yes," Indy replied. "Surely they're not authentic?"

"Oh, they are," Giuseppe replied. "Payment from King George VI. The current Crown Jewels? Fakes."

Indy sat back, stunned. He could see that the man wasn't making things up. But it was just _so hard to believe!_ Still, it confirmed and explained the things he had seen in South America.

"Towards the end of the war," Giuseppe continued, "Hitler escaped from his bunker with Eva – with both British and Vatican help. He made his way to South America" – here Indy and Marion quickly glanced at each other – "where he still lives."

"What does this have to do with me?" Indy asked.

"The circumstances leading up to your breaking into Hitler's treasure room were set up by the Vatican." Here Indy looked stunned. "Yep. You fell into a trap. That Mosaic Crystal was discovered by Nazi archaeologists in Ethiopia in the 1940. The legend tells that if one speaks the right incantations, it will reveal the location of Moses' grave, which ancient tradition claims is in the Garden of Eden."

"I know that," Indy replied.

Giuseppe continued, "No-one in the elite has yet worked out what incantations must be used. And the wrong one will kill the user. It is said that that is how George VI died, despite official reports that he died in his sleep. That is where you come in. The elite know of your successes with the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, and even the Sankara Stones. They hoped you would be able to 'crack the code', so to speak, with the Mosaic Crystal. And if you fail, then another pain in their behinds would be destroyed."

Indy raised his eyes, as did Marion. "What will they do now?" Indy asked.

"Well," Giuseppe replied, "I'm not high enough to know for certain. But, I believe that they will likely go after the Order of the Preserved Knowledge." At this Indy started. "And probably come after you. They'll also almost certainly find out about my meeting and come after me."

Indy sat silent for a few seconds. Then he leaned forward. "What exactly do they want with Moses' grave, and the Garden of Eden?"

"Well," Giuseppe replied, "there's the Tree of Life and Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, of course."

"But they're meant to be guarded by an angel with a flaming sword!" Indy retorted.

"I know," Giuseppe sighed. "And they know, too. But the fools think they might be able to find a way around that. And anyway, they would like to get their hands on the wealth of knowledge in it. Do you know the story of the Order of the Preserved Knowledge's role in that?" Indy nodded. "Well, they not only want to increase their knowledge, but hide it from the world. Either destroy it or hide it away, or a combination of both. Understand that this cache of documents includes _original Biblical manuscripts_ – inlcuding manuscripts of the lost books mentioned in the Bible. It also includes historical information from every era – including details that the Order of the Illuminati (which most of the elite are members of) would NOT like the world to know. It includes stuff about them. The documents are dynamite, in other words. But there's something else. I don't know what it is – that's top secret – but, whatever it is, they want it bad. Think it'll give them absolute power."

"Sounds like we have to reach the Order of the Preserved Knowledge first," Indy commented.

"Yes," Giuseppe agreed. "We only know it's somewhere in Spain. But, the Pope and the British King have had spies in the country for months now trying to locate them. One other thing: the Illuminati, and us are not the only ones looking for this. The Soviets – who, under their current leader Khruschev, are rival to the Illuminati, but just as bad – are also after the Garden and Grave."

"So," Marion said, "where do we begin?"

Indy got up and walked to a map of the world on the wall. "Seville."


	5. Chapter 5

AT THE VATICAN

Pope Pius XII watched as the helicopter came in to land. It was midnight in Rome. As the helicopter's skids touched down, the door opened and a man jumped out. Pius almost didn't recognise Adolf Hitler, as he was completely bald – no moustache, no hair. Hitler ran up to him and bowed, kissing the Pope's ring. "Divinum Officium tuum," he greeted. Your Holiness.

"Et sperent in te qui bona fugae?" Pius asked. I trust you had a good flight?

"Praeclarus," Hitler replied. "Quid est cardinalis Roncalli?" Excellent. How's Cardinal Roncalli?

"Fecit," Pius replied. Dealt with. They both grinned and laughed maliciously.

IN A PLANE OVER THE ATLANTIC

"How did you know it was Seville?" Marion asked.

Indy sighed and turned from the window to his wife on the other side of him.

 _He had not wanted Marion to come along. Father Giuseppe de Medici had agreed with Indy – it was too dangerous. Marion, however, was adamant. "On ALL of your previous adventures, you've had some sort of girlfriend. Well, this time, I'M gonna be your girl!"_

 _Giuseppe had to put his hand over his mouth to hide his smile. Indy was in a fix. "I promise to stay faithful."_

 _Marion cocked an eyebrow with an expression that very clearly said "I don't believe you."_

 _"Look," Indy said, "it could be very dangerous. These are men who likely won't think twice about murder."_

 _"I'm a tough woman," was Marion's response._

 _"You don't want to tempt fate," Indy had responded._

 _Marion straightened. "I believe you've already tempted fate far more often than I ever will, Indy. I'm willing to risk it."_

 _Indy had then looked over at Giuseppe – who was silently laughing. After glaring at him, Indy turned back to Marion. "Fine."_

 _Marion beamed. "I'd better go pack." With that, she had given Indy a peck on the lips and headed for her bedroom._

 _Giuseppe had ended his silence and audibly chuckled as he bent over. Indy's death glare only made him laugh harder. "I'm sorry," he had managed between breaths. "You've got one hell of a chick!"_

 _Indy had smiled, shaken his head, and then headed for the bedroom to pack_ his _things._

"Well," Indy now explained to Marion (and to Giuseppe, who leaned forward in his seat behind them), "there's always been a strong Jewish connection to Spain, including Seville. Since ancient times. In particular, there is an old story that during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, a Roman officer found a cache of Hebrew documents – most of them books of the Bible (the complete Bible, including the New Testament and the Apocryphal books) – and secreted them away to Seville. There, they were apparently secretly guarded by Jewish rabbis. They've never been seen by the public again."

"I do recall hearing about that," Giuseppe commented.

"And where did you hear this?" Marion asked.

"The preface of the _Book of Jasher_ ," Indiana replied. "While _Jasher_ does appear to be a forgery, the story of how it was supposedly preserved is extremely interesting, in light of everything else. I used to think the story was just made up – it certainly can't be historically verified. But then, I once knew a Rabbi. Now, although I had already heard whispers before of the Order of the Preserved Knowledge, I had never mentioned or hinted at it to him – partly because I hadn't put much stock in the story. I'd almost forgotten their existence. Then on his deathbed, this Rabbi I knew just out of the blue told me on his deathbed about the Order, which he was a member of. He repeated the exact same story of the Roman officer and the documents. He claimed that the _Jasher_ that was published was a forgery – by the Order. Interest in lost books was increasing, and it was only a matter of time before someone started to get on their trail. The fake version was published as a decoy."

Giuseppe leaned back and smiled. _He's certainly well-informed_ , he thought. _He's picking up all the clues laid long ago._

IN SEVILLE, SPAIN

Indiana, Marion and Giuseppe exited the airport and looked around. Giuseppe hailed a taxi. Once they were all inside, Giuseppe gave the driver their hotel address.

"Well," Indiana announced after they were all freshened up, "I'm thirsty, so we might as well check out the local pub."

AT THE PUB

Indy sat at the counter next to a lady of similar age to him, and ordered. Marion and Giuseppe sat on Indy's left. He thought the lady on his right was vaguely familiar, but didn't want to stare, and couldn't place where he'd seen her before. Just as the alcohol arrived (Giuseppe had declined), the lady turned and glanced at him. "Indiana Jones?!" she exclaimed. The man on the other side of her choked on his drink.

Indy looked at her for a few seconds, trying to remember who she was. Then it clicked. "Willie Scott...?"

"Lady Willie Ferguson now," she said, and motioned to the guy next to her. "This is my husband, Lord Duncan Ferguson."

"Pleased to meet you, Dr Jones," Lord Ferguson greeted as he extended his hand, which Indy shook. "My wife has told me so much about you."

Willie looked at him puzzled. "I told you hardly anything."

"Well..." he looked embarrassed, "I must have heard more about you from other places."

"Oh," Indy said. "This is my wife, Marion."

Marion and Willie shook hands somewhat tensely. Duncan was more cordial in his handshake (as was Marion).

"Oh," Indy said and indicated Giuseppe, "this is Father Giuseppe de Medici."

Giuseppe gave them a nod, although Indy noticed a slight tension in de Medici and Ferguson's eyes. Lord Ferguson then looked at his watch. "Oh dear, I'm late for something. You'll have to excuse me." He gave Willie a kiss, and exited the bar.

"He's a little eccentric," Willie said. "But very wealthy. And a good benefactor."

OUTSIDE THE BAR

Just out of sight of the bar, Lord Ferguson pulled out his encrypted two-way radio. "This is Agent 7007 calling Agent Superior. Repeat, 7007 calling Superior."

 _"This is Superior,"_ Agent Superior's voice crackled over the radio. _"Go ahead, 7007."_

"Dr Jones is here," Duncan – aka Agent 7007 – reported. "He's accompanied by Father Giuseppe de Medici."

 _"The priest who disappeared from the Vatican?"_ Superior asked in surprise. _"He must have defected. Meet up with Agent 111129. Continue with schedule."_

"Roger," Ferguson replied. "Over and out."

AT THE LOCAL SYNAGOGUE

Rabbi Samuel ben Ishmael was just finishing dusting some books in his office, when he heard the synagogue door open and close, followed by footsteps. He went to his office door and opened it. Two men – one of them Indian-looking, with a cane and a withered leg, the other a proper-looking gentleman – and two soldiers were looking around. They saw the door open. "Ah," the Indian said, "Rabbi ben Ishmael, I presume?"

"Yes," the Rabbi replied. "And how may I help you gentlemen?"

"I am Chattar Lal," the Indian introduced. He indicated the other gentleman. "This is Lord Duncan Ferguson."

Alarm bells immediately went off in Rabbi ben Ishmael's head. He knew exactly who these men were – and what they wanted. "Well, if you're here for a tour, I'm afraid I'm rather busy at the moment. Perhaps another time." The rabbi turned to head back into his office – but found the two soldiers (one of whom looked like an officer) blocking his way.

"We can do this the easy way," the officer said, "or the hard way."

"Your choice, Rabbi," Lord Ferguson said, before nodding to the Colonel.

The soldiers immediately grabbed Rabbi ben Ishmael by the arms and marched him into the office. Lal shut the door. The two soldiers had put Rabbi ben Ishmael in a chair. "Bind him," Lal ordered. They proceeded to do so. "Now," Lal said, "are you willing to give us the location of the headquarters of the Order of the Preserved Knowledge?"

"The order of the... what?" ben Ishmael bluffed. "I'm afraid I've never heard of it."

Lal to the officer. "He's yours, Mustard."

Lal stepped to the side as Colonel Mustard towered over ben Ishmael. Meanwhile, the other soldier began looking through the rabbi's desk and cabinets.

"So," Mustard began, "are you willing to tell us the location of the Order's headquarters?"

"As I said before, I've never heard of it!" ben Ishmael protested.

"Yeah, keep up that schtick if you want," Musgrave replied. "If you won't tell us verbally, do you have a map?"

Ben Ishmael shook his head. "I don't have anything."

"You understand," Musgrave replied, "that if we find a map or clue or anything in here, and you haven't spoken, you will have outlived your usefulness."

"And if I give it to you, you'll just kill me," the rabbi replied.

Musgrave pulled out a knife, and move it within inches of ben Ishmael's crotch. "Give us what we want."

"Never," ben Ishmael replied with steely determination.

Colonel Mustard began to move the knife even closer, when he heard a click behind him. "I found it!" the other soldier exclaimed. Rabbi ben Ishmael immediately adopted a fearful expression. The Colonel turned around to see the soldier holding up an old map, extracted from a secret compartment in the Rabbi's cabinet – whose lock the soldier had picked. "It's a map of the location."

Lord Ferguson grabbed the map. "Looks authentic, all right. The location's in the Sierra Norte de Sevilla mountain range. A few miles outside the protected area."

"Perfect," Lal replied, with excitement in his voice.

"Well," Mustard said, turning to the Rabbi, "it seems you've outlived your usefulness."

Mustard pulled out his gun, cocked it, and levelled it at ben Ishmael's head. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a figure whirled around the corner of the door and put a bullet in his head. Just before he was dragged kicking and screaming by demons into hell, he just managed to recognise the face: _Indiana Jones!_

The other soldier, Private Hudson, turned his head just as Colonel Mustard fell dead. Before he could react, Mustard's gun fired as he hit the ground – and a hollow-point bullet his gun decapitated Hudson at the top of the neck. Lal and Ferguson – who quickly recognised the shooter – hurried out the back door, although Lal took a bullet to the leg.

Indy hurried to the back door, while Giuseppe and Marion saw to freeing Rabbi ben Ishmael. He saw Ferguson and Lal disappear into an alley. But by the time he reached it, they had disappeared. He returned to the synagogue to find ben Ishmael free, and recovering from the ordeal.

"Rabbi ben Ishmael," Indy said, "we need to talk."

IN THE WINDOW OF A NEARBY BUILDING

A well-dressed man had watched the whole affair. He quickly brought up his two-way radio. "агент 109 вызова агента 20," he said. Agent 109 calling Agent 20.

"агент 109, это агент 20," Agent 20 replied. "Преуспевать." Agent 109, this is Agent 20. Go ahead.

"у них есть карта," Agent 109 reported. "однако, похоже, они были прерваны. была стрельба. только два из них вышли." They have the map. However, it appears they were interrupted. There was shooting. Only two of them came out.

"Доктор Джонс?" Agent 20 asked. Dr Jones?

"да," Agent 109 confirmed. "он появился впоследствии, преследуя тех, кто сбежал. он их не поймал. он сейчас там." Yes. He emerged afterwards, chasing those who escaped. He didn't catch them. He's in there now.

"Продолжай смотреть," Agent 20 ordered. Keep watch.


End file.
